Two prominent international aid organizations, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), announced they were forced to suspend operations in Sudan after their facilities were looted in the midst of escalating conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the country’s army on Thursday.
The organizations expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation and the impact on the vulnerable population in Sudan.
According to MSF’s statement on X (formerly Twitter), armed men attacked an MSF compound in Wad Madani, seizing two vehicles and other valuable items. As a result, MSF decided to suspend all medical activities in the area and evacuate its staff to safer locations within Sudan and neighboring countries. This suspension has severely limited access to healthcare and essential medicines for the people of Wad Madani, exacerbating an already dire situation.
Similarly, a WFP news release said their warehouse in Gezira State fell victim to looting by elements of the RSF, who forcefully broke into the premises after their takeover of Wad Madani. The warehouse contained crucial food supplies, including pulses, sorghum, vegetable oil, and nutrition supplements, intended to feed nearly 1.5 million severely food insecure people for a month. This act of theft has deprived the already desperate Sudanese population of critical assistance, hindering efforts to address acute hunger and malnutrition. WFP had to suspend their operations in the region and said they were “reconfiguring” their humanitarian response.
Both MSF and WFP condemned these acts of looting and emphasized the need for the RSF to protect civilians and respect the neutrality of medical facilities and humanitarian assistance. They have called upon the RSF to ensure safe access to healthcare services and guarantee the protection of humanitarian staff and premises in areas under their control.
The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, coupled with organized violence and economic decline, has plunged Sudan into a humanitarian crisis. The latest analysis of IPC Acute Food Insecurity revealed that approximately 17.7 million people, equivalent to 37 percent of the analyzed population, are facing high levels of acute food insecurity between October 2023 and February 2024. The situation is further exacerbated by movement restrictions, sieges, and the displacement of millions of people, putting immense strain on already scarce resources.
